


Fire and Ice

by PatL



Category: Starsky and Hutch - Fandom
Genre: A "Sweet Revenge" Alternate Universe story, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-03-31
Updated: 2003-03-31
Packaged: 2017-10-09 16:53:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/89608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PatL/pseuds/PatL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two visitors from another universe watch as Starsky struggles for life and Hutch fights for justice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire and Ice

The small park was filled with the beat of drums. One lone musician sat under a tree, pounding out the rhythm of an upbeat song. The two men that walked away from the drummer weren't listening to the music, though. Lionel Rigger had just put his life into their hands. They were used to that. Sometimes, they were the only ones who stood between the innocent and the guilty. It was their job to keep the innocent safe, and make the guilty pay. This time, the stakes were much higher than usual. The guilty party was a Federal Judge, and Lionel was just a regular Joe trying to do the right thing.   
In a small clearing, two women watched the men walk toward a flashy red car. One was slightly shorter than the other, with hair the color of night cascading down her back, and eyes the color of jade. She wore a white t-shirt with the words "Make Love, Not War" across the front, blue hip hugger jeans, and brown sandals. A fresh daisy peeked out of her hair above her right ear. She smiled appreciatively as the two men drove away.  
"Um, I just love Fire and Ice."  
The other woman looked at her companion with a frown of puzzlement on her face. She stood two inches taller, with hair the color of a new-born fawn, shaded with streaks of sunlight. Her eyes were as blue as the cloudless sky overhead, seeing only beauty in the world around her. Her sun dress was pure white and a bronze peace symbol hung on a chain around her neck. A small ankle bracelet and white sandals completed her outfit.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Those two men. The blond one's aura is as cool as ice, with flashes of darkness weaving through it. He is a soldier, a warrior fighting for justice. His path is true, and he never veers from it. He wears his convictions like a suit of armor, and carries his faith like a sword. He believes in what he is doing, but he grows weary of the fight. He's seen too much sadness in his short life and doubts the wisdom of his chosen path."  
"Raven, you aren't supposed to do that."  
"Hey, so I peeked. Sue me."  
Tawny tossed her hair behind her shoulders and shook her head tolerantly. "Well, I suppose there's no harm done. I must admit, I couldn't resist studying the other one. He is Fire. His aura is a blue flame, burning bright with the knowledge that they will win their fight. His faith never wavers and the strength of his convictions holds Ice to this world. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with, and evil cringes in the shadows. What do you see when you look at him?"  
Raven smiled sensuously. "I see sex on two legs."  
"Raven! Was that nice?"  
She grinned wickedly. "I calls them as I sees them, Tawny. He has such a love for life that you can see it in the way he moves through this world. It isn't merely a walk; it's a dance, a seductive dance. But I see more than that. Somewhere underneath the man there is a child who looks at each day with wonder. Even the darkest hour can't stop his enthusiasm. As long as Fire is by his side, Ice will conquer all. I want to know more about these men, Tawny. I sense a great challenge is in store for them, a test of the bond they share."  
Tawny nodded. "Have you ever read the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?"  
"Yes, so what?"  
Tawny grinned. "The game's afoot."  
Raven hooked her arm in Tawny's. "Lead on, Watson."

Fast forward

In the basement of the local library, they sat together and watched the text rolling across the screen. Raven thumped the monitor in irritation.  
"I can't believe how archaic this equipment is. It's a surprise that they ever managed to record anything."  
"Now don't get any ideas, Raven. The article we need should be coming up soon. Ah, here it is."  
The article was out of the past, and the women read the account of the high profile arrest with interest.  
Tawny pointed to the caption under the picture. "Fire's name is David Starsky, and Ice's name is Ken Hutchinson, but what's this "Hutch" in the middle?"  
Raven shrugged. "It appears to be a shortened version of his last name. I think it's called a nickname." She read the first lines. "This explains it: they're Keepers of the Peace."  
"And Guardians of the Innocent. Look how they've changed in such a short time! Ice seems so much younger there. His resolve is stronger, his path clear. What terrible things has he seen that weigh on his soul so much?"  
"The world is often dark and cold. He wears his scars on the inside, but the wall he is building around him shuts out the goodness with the bad. Do you see the way he's smiling at Fire there? They won the battle that time, but now he fears they are losing the war."  
"Fire sees only his friend. He wants to save everyone, for they are all his children, but he knows how Ice bleeds for the lost souls. It hurts Fire to see the sorrow in Ice's eyes and he hides his pain behind a façade of playfulness. But even his innocence has been tested. Shall we read on?"  
Raven scrolled down the article then cocked her head suddenly as she looked inward. Standing up, she turned the machine off.   
"Something's happening. Come on."  
They snapped their fingers and disappeared, leaving empty chairs and a small spool of microfilm lying on the table.

They reappeared on a crowded street corner, drawing astonished looks from the passers-by. An old, brown car drove up and parked against the opposite curb. They watched as Hutch took out the bag of groceries and started toward the building across the street. He only walked a few steps when the car erupted in a ball of fire.   
"Oh, no!" Raven waved her hands, the palms facing Hutch. For a moment, time stopped and the explosion was contained. An invisible force reached out and sent Hutch tumbling out of harm's way. Then she waved her hand again and the sound of the blast shattered the silence.   
Tawny stared at her companion, astonished. "Raven, you can't do that!"  
"I just did."  
They watched as Starsky ran out of the building and held his friend protectively in his arms. Tawny saw the body hurtling out of the window and grabbed Raven's arms before she had a chance to react.  
"Raven, no! It's too late. He's already gone."  
Raven stood with her head down, her arms lax in Tawny's grip. She moaned and closed her eyes in empathy.  
"I can feel their pain. Fire fears for his friend and Ice blames himself for the other's death. Another lost soul weighs on his heart."  
Tawny let go of Raven's wrists and put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "There was nothing you could do. Do you want to go on?"  
Raven raised her eyes and saw her pain mirrored in Tawny's. "Yes, I can't leave them like this. I have to see how it turns out."  
"OK. They're going now. We'll follow them."  
They watched the two men as they stood once more in the park. A dark-skinned man pushed a child on a swing then stopped to talk to them.   
Raven's eyes narrowed. "The dark one's words are harsh and they cut like a knife. He needs to learn some manners."  
"No, Raven, he mourns the death of his friend. The child must grow up without a father now, and somewhere, a wife must learn to live without her husband. His heart aches for them and he voices his grief the only way he can."  
"By attacking Fire and Ice? Their hearts lie heavy, too."  
"The dark one knows that, and he'll understand in time. He carries his own guilt, because he was the one that brought them together. The other's blood is on his hands, as well."  
Raven nodded finally. "The death of the other touches many lives, like ripples in a stream. I only hope he didn't give his life in vain."

Fast forward

Raven and Tawny stood in the corner of the room and watched Fire hit the tiny ball with a strange looking bat toward Ice.  
Raven looked at her companion. "What is this, some weird ritual? I don't understand a thing they're saying."  
Tawny rolled her eyes. "I think they're playing a game, Raven. It's a strange one, I'll admit, but it seems harmless."  
Then another dark-skinned man came into the room and spoke to the two players. This man was larger than the other and carried an air of authority.  
Tawny's eyes glowed with respect. "That is their leader. He guides them on their quest and tempers their eagerness with wisdom."  
Raven nodded. "His aura shines brightly and envelops them in a shield of protection. Though he hides it behind a gruff exterior, his heart is filled with love for them, for all his children."  
They both smiled as Starsky won the game and handed the paddle to their leader. Hutch followed him out of the building and they argued good-naturedly on the way to the car.   
Tawny and Raven jumped at the shrill sound of a car impacting the side of another and watched in horror as it hurtled toward the two men. The chatter of an automatic weapon assaulted their eardrums as Hutch shouted a warning and Starsky groped wildly for his gun.   
The two women's arms stiffened and their hands shot out as one.   
Tawny's voice boomed out the command. "STOP!"  
Time froze and the deadly missiles hung suspended in the air. Raven cast an amazed look at her companion.  
Tawny shrugged. "You did it first. Now it's my turn."  
With her arm extended from her waist, her palm pointing downward, she moved her hand toward the ground. Starsky's body moved with it until he was out of range of most of the bullets. Then the two women waved their hands once more and time moved again.   
They stood back as Hutch ran around the side of the car and rushed to Starsky's side. Raven wrung her hands together as they heard him talking to his partner.  
"It's OK, buddy. Just take it easy. Don't go anywhere, you hear me?"  
Tawny's eyes reflected the sight of Starsky's torn body lying in his friend's arms, a slender thread of blood running down the side of his mouth.   
"Hutch, what happened?"  
"It looks like we got somebody's attention. You were shot. Don't try to talk. Help's on the way." He looked up at the concerned faces hovering over them. "Get an ambulance, NOW!"

Fast Forward

The dark-skinned leader sat beside Hutch on the hard plastic seats. The other dark-skinned one paced the floor like a caged tiger, dividing his attention between the grief-stricken man in the chair and the friend that was fighting for his life in another room. Raven longed to touch Hutch's shoulder as she stood sentry over them. His body was still, an empty vessel holding him to this reality. His heart, his soul, and his mind were with his friend.   
On another floor, Tawny stood beside Starsky as he lay on the operating table, watching the rise and fall of his chest and listening to the sound of his heartbeat. For the briefest moment, she laid her hand on the surgeon's shoulder and whispered.  
"Let your eyes be true and your hands steady, Healer. Use your scalpel well. The fate of two souls rests on your shoulders this day."  
Raven breathed a sigh of relief as the doctor walk toward them. She smiled as a spark of hope flared in Hutch's eyes and watched the scene unfold.   
The doctor smiled. "He made it through the surgery. One bullet punctured his lung, and the other barely missed his spleen. We've put a chest tube in and re-inflated the lung. The next twenty-four hours will tell the story, but I think he's going to make it."  
Hutch closed his eyes and exhaled. "Thank God. When can I see him?"  
"He'll be in recovery for a couple of hours yet then he'll be taken to ICU. As soon as he's settled, I'll have the nurse come and get you. In the meantime, why don't you get something to eat? We'll page you if his condition changes."  
The dark-skinned leader put his arm on Ice's shoulder. "Come on, Hutch. There isn't any more we can do and you need to eat. I have the feeling it's going to be a long night."  
Raven nodded with satisfaction as the two men led him away. Tawny appeared beside her companion and put an arm around Raven's shoulders.   
"Fire will burn brightly again and Ice has gained strength from his warmth. His faith in mankind is restored."  
"I knew it would be. Come; I want to check on Fire. Ice has his friends to support him."  
They snapped their fingers and disappeared then shimmered into form beside Starsky's bed.   
Tawny ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "Rest now, gentle warrior. Let sleep heal your wounds and return your strength. Your soul-mate lies in good hands. There are other battles to be fought and won another day."  
Raven placed a tender kiss on his cheek. "Even now, your thoughts are with your friend. You're worried that he must carry on alone. Fear not, you are with him in his heart and your love will keep him safe."  
She straightened and gazed at Tawny, her eyes blazing with determination. "Ice will find the snake responsible for this and then he will pay."  
"Hey, you're giving snakes a bad name. Whoever is at the bottom of this is pure evil. Snakes only strike out of self-preservation when they're attacked."  
"I don't care what you call him. He's a scourge on the face of this planet. May the forces of good triumph and send evil scurrying back into the shadows where it belongs. Ice will freeze it with the cold breath of goodness and hammer it to pieces with the staff of justice."

Fast Forward

The two women watched as Hutch appeared in the doorway of James Marshall Gunther's office. Tawny nodded appreciatively as he stood tall, his back straight and his eyes steely with determination.   
"Ah, the avenging angel speaks. The monster is quaking in his shoes."  
Raven gazed with contempt at the figure behind the desk. "What a pitiful old man you are! You rule from a throne made of treachery and a lie, your fortune is won on the blood and despair of the innocent. Watch as your treasure shrivels like fruit on a poison vine. Cower as your power is ripped away, layer by layer. Vengeance flies on the wings of righteousness and Armageddon is upon you. May the ghosts of a thousand tortured souls haunt your nights and your days be filled with shame. Cry, you despicable weasel, your kingdom of deceit is no more."  
Raven and Tawny stayed in the shadows as Hutch handcuffed Gunther and led him away. The lifeless body of Bates remained in the chair, a mute testament to the fall of an empire. The women exchanged high-fives.  
"Score one for the good guys! There just might be hope for this planet, yet."  
As Tawny started to reply, a strange jingling sound came from the peace symbol hanging on the chain around her neck. She traded stricken glances with her companion.  
Raven cursed quietly. "Oh, Sirius! Not now!"  
Tawny shushed her then held the token outward, rubbing a finger over its face. The shimmering figure of a woman appeared in front of them. A tiara made of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires was on her head and her hair was a dark auburn color, reaching to her shoulders. Her eyes matched the emeralds in her crown with brown flecks scattered among the green.   
Tawny smiled cheerily. "Hi, mom!"  
Raven waved jauntily. "Hi, mom!"  
Their mother smiled lovingly. "Well, are you two having fun? Have you been behaving yourself?"  
Tawny rolled her eyes. "Well-"  
Raven elbowed her sister. "We've been having so much fun, Mother! This is such an interesting planet. And we've been good." She mumbled slightly under her breath. "Most of the time, anyway."  
"I'm glad you've enjoyed your outing, but it's time to come back now. Your father and I need to go off-world. There's an emergency on Hectare that needs our attention."  
Raven protested. "Can't we stay here, Mom? We'll stay out of trouble, we promise. We've been observing the terrestrials. They're very interesting."  
"I imagine they are, but I have no idea how long we'll be gone, and I wouldn't be comfortable being a galaxy away from you. If something went wrong, you'd have no one to help you."  
Tawny pouted slightly. "But Hectare is so boring! There's nothing to do there."  
"Then it would be a good time for you to catch up on your studies. We're leaving in thirty Archons, girls. Be ready."  
Raven simply nodded. Arguing with the Supreme Ruler of Arcturus would get her no where.  
"Can we come back sometime, Mother?"  
"Perhaps when you're a little older, Raven. We'll see. Good-bye, darlings."  
The sisters smiled as the image of their mother faded then turned to each other.  
Tawny shrugged. "So much for that. Once Mother gets an idea in her head, there's no changing it."  
"I know, but I wanted to see where Fire and Ice went from here. It could be decades before we come back."  
"Well, there's nothing we can do about that. Earth's time will come and go with the tides. They have been fascinating creatures, haven't they?"  
Raven grinned wickedly. "Yeah, and they weren't too bad on the eyes, either. Come; I want to say good-bye."  
They snapped their fingers and were transported to the hospital where four friends were celebrating a great victory. The clothes the sisters had been wearing to blend in with the natives were gone. Instead, Raven wore a long gown made of green silk, covered with layers of satin. Sparkles of stardust twinkled from the cloth. A silver band circled her forehead, imbedded with emeralds and diamonds. Tawny's sun dress was replaced by a gown the color of her eyes, and the layers of silk glittered with gold. A large sapphire hung on a gold band around her forehead. Raven and Tawny smiled as they watched the men hold glasses high in a toast, then drink. Hutch settled back on the bed beside Starsky and looked above him.  
"Uh, Huggy."  
"Yes?"  
"What was that thing you hung the lamp on up there?"  
Starsky followed his friend's eyes. "I don't know."  
Huggy cocked his head, staring up at the ceiling. "It looks like-"

Raven waved her hands and time was suspended once more. The two sisters bent down and kissed the dark-skinned one on his cheek then did the same to the leader.  
Tawny smiled fondly at the two men. "Your friendship has been tested, but remains intact. Fire and Ice will be safe as long as you are in their life."  
Raven turned to the two men lying on the bed. Bending over, she gently kissed Starsky on the lips then Hutch. Tawny crossed to the other side of the bed and kissed Hutch first, then Starsky.  
Raven stepped back and gazed at the two men. "You are brothers in arms, and though your blood is not the same, your love binds you stronger than any blood tie. What Destiny has brought together, no mortal being can tear asunder. Farewell, my champions. I shall never forget what I have seen this day."  
Tawny linked her arm with her sister's. "Amen, Raven, amen."  
With a final snap of their fingers, the two sisters disappeared and time moved forward again.

"A fire sprinkler."   
The four men that had defeated death once more looked up as the water rained down on them.

The End


End file.
